X3: Return to Cerebro
by Jude Rigby
Summary: A new mutant joins the staff at the Institute. What is her connection with P. Xavier and why is Magneto interested in her? Main pairing is Xavier OC (Other pairings listed inside) Set a year after X2.
1. Prologue: One Year After Alkali

A/N: This is my very first X-Men fic and it takes place a year after X2. I have not read the comics, so all the info on each person (who's not my own character) is taken from the 2 movies. So please be kind in your reviews.  
  
A/N #2: I have skipped Jean being reborn as Phoenix because I do not have the knowledge or inspiration to write her transformation. Please don't hold it against me!  
  
A/N #3: The other pairings I have here are Jean/Scott and Storm/Wolverine.  
  
Prologue  
  
One Year After Alkali  
  
  
  
Dr. Jean Gray was thought to be dead after the dam collapsed at Alkali Lake in Canada. Four months after that incident, Jean returned to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in New York State. Her powers were now very strong, and she was instructed for a long time by Professor Charles Xavier on how to control them. She eventually earned the code name 'Phoenix' when she had completed her training and rejoined the X-Men.  
  
After Alkali Lake, Xavier had hired two new mutants to become teachers at the school. Dr. Price Lyndon became the teacher of Anatomy and the school's doctor until Jean returned. His power was the ability to become invisible any time he wished, earning him the code name 'Ghost.' The other teacher was Rebecca Perth, who taught Chemistry. Her power was super speed and her code name was 'Vite,' which meant 'fast' in French.  
  
The two new teachers settled in quickly, joining the X-Men, and the only disruption was when Jean returned. Price and Jean were embroiled in an argument over who would become the head doctor of the school. Eventually, Price and Jean worked out a compromise and they became the school's doctors. Three months after Jean rejoined the X-Men, Xavier hired another teacher who was going to teach Literature to the students. 


	2. Chapter 1: The New Arrival

A/N: I mentioned two new mutants in the prologue and I introduce them here. But after this chapter, they won't be in the story again.  
  
Chapter One  
  
The New Arrival  
  
  
  
The young woman stopped her car outside the iron gates. She looked down at a piece of paper on the seat next to her, and then up at the plaque next to the gate. "School for Gifted Youngsters," she read softly, her voice containing a hint of an Irish accent. She honked the car horn a few times and waited patiently until the gates began to open. She drove through the gates, feeling a sense of anticipation. "Don't worry Atar, I'm sure we'll find a home here," she said to the Irish wolfhound lying across the back seat.   
  
As she drove up the lane to the mansion ahead, she passed a field where a group of children were playing soccer. The young woman drove past the field slowly, and she spied a child who was transporting himself and the soccer ball he was dribbling. She smiled to herself and then looked toward the mansion, this would definitely be home.  
  
~~~  
  
Jean opened the front door of the mansion as the new teacher pulled up and turned off the car. "Theodora O'Malley?" she asked as the woman got out of the car.  
  
Theodora nodded and opened the back door, letting a huge dog step out. She walked to the trunk and got out two large suitcases.  
  
"Let me help you with those," Jean said, coming down the stairs and taking one suitcase. She glanced at the dog who was sitting next to Theodora.  
  
"Atar comes with me," Theodora answered, following Jean's gaze. "The professor has okayed it."  
  
"Oh, well then, let me show you your room," Jean answered. She turned and walked up the front steps and into the house. "There are about forty or so students here," she said to Theodora, who was walking behind her. "And there are seven teachers including the professor."  
  
Glancing at each room they passed, Theodora could only nod in response to Jean's statement. They entered an elevator and started traveling upwards. She looked around for a moment and then said, "When may I meet with the Professor?"  
  
"The Professor is in New York City. He'll be back sometime tomorrow and I'm sure you'll meet him then," Jean answered. The elevator stopped and Jean walked out first, Theodora close behind her. After walking down the hallway for a few moments, Jean stopped in front of a door and pushed it open. She stepped aside and let Theodora walk inside first.  
  
Theodora walked inside and looked around the room in surprise. The room was opulent, done in shades of blue and very spacious. "It's wonderful," she murmured to Jean, setting her suitcase on the bed near the window.  
  
"You have a great window seat and a nice view of the gardens and the forest that's at the edge of the field," Jean said as Theodora looked out the window.  
  
"Such a lavish room. I'm not so sure if I should be in here," Theodora said softly.  
  
"Why not?" Jean asked, surprised at the young woman's statement.  
  
"I'm not even sure if I will be staying. That's why I need to see the professor, to discuss whether or not I'll be teaching here for sure," Theodora answered.  
  
"I doubt that the professor would have you come all the way out here if he wasn't intending for you to stay," a voice with a very light British accent said from the open doorway.  
  
Theodora turned around and was surprised to see a group of people standing outside her room.  
  
"This is the rest of the teaching staff," Jean said, motioning for the people to come inside. "Oh yes, my name is Dr. Jean Gray." She held out her hand to Theodora who shook it quickly.   
  
Theodora smiled softly at Jean and said, "What is your code name?"  
  
Jean narrowed her flame colored eyes and looked back at the other teachers in surprise. Then she turned back to Theodora and said, "Phoenix."  
  
"Because of your hair?" Theodora asked.  
  
Jean reached a hand up to her shoulder length fire colored hair and said, "Something like that." Then she stepped back to let the other teachers introduce themselves.  
  
"I'm Rebecca Perth, codename's Vite," a tall woman with short brown hair and black eyes said, shaking Theodora's hand.  
  
"What do you teach?" Theodora asked.  
  
"Chemistry," Rebecca said quickly before stepping back.  
  
"Nice to meet you Miss O'Malley, I'm Dr. Price Lyndon" a tall man with spiked bleach blonde hair and pale, pale blue eyes said, nodding to Theodora. "My code name is Ghost."  
  
Theodora stood and nodded to Price. "What subject do you teach?" she asked.  
  
"Anatomy," Price said. "Excuse me," he said to the others before leaving the room.  
  
"Price's got to make dinner tonight," Rebecca commented.  
  
"I'm Scott Summers," a tall man wearing a pair of glasses with red lenses and dark brown hair said. "My code name is Cyclops."  
  
Theodora nodded to him.  
  
"I'm Ororo Monroe," the woman next to Scott said, holding out her hand. She had white hair and blue eyes. "I'm also called Storm." She had a very light British accent; she had been the one who had spoken earlier.  
  
"What is it you teach Ms. Monroe?" Theodora asked, shaking Ororo's hand.  
  
"I teach History," Ororo answered.  
  
The last person left was a tall man with wild black hair and hazel colored eyes. "Name's Logan, they call me Wolverine too," he said curtly. "I'm the instructor in charge of the danger room. Glad to meet you."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Theodora said, smiling softly. "If I stay, I'd like it if you would call me Theo." She turned to her dog, who was sitting on the window seat. "This is my dog and protector, Atar. He's very friendly, unless I indicate to him that he is to attack."  
  
"What's your code name?" Logan asked, jokingly.  
  
Theo laughed. "I'm afraid I haven't got one. I'm not one of the X-Men after all," she said.  
  
~~~  
  
Ororo and Jean were cleaning the dishes from that night's dinner a few hours later while Scott was cleaning the counter.  
  
"How does that woman know about the X-Men?" Scott asked.  
  
"That woman's name is Theo, Scott," Ororo said.  
  
"I don't think that she knows about the underground part of the school," Jean said softly, closing her eyes. "She only knows that the students refer to us as the X-Men."  
  
"Do you think the professor will tell her about the lower levels?" Logan said, walking into the kitchen. He strode over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of soda.  
  
"That depends on if she's a mutant or not," Jean said.  
  
"Is she one?" Logan asked.  
  
Jean closed her eyes for a few moments then opened them. "I'm not sure; I can't really get into her mind to find that out."  
  
The others were silent for a few moments when they heard the sound of a dog walking down the hall to the kitchen. A few seconds later, Theo walked into the room, holding a large bag and a blue dog dish, Atar at her side.  
  
"I'm so sorry I didn't come to dinner, but I fell asleep and just woke up," she said softly.  
  
"That's all right," Jean said. She turned to the refrigerator and held out her hand. The door opened and a plate floated out towards the microwave. The microwave door opened and the plate floated inside.  
  
"Thank you," Theo said quietly, she set down the bowl next to a table chair at the other end of the kitchen. Then she filled the bowl with dog food. "I hope you don't mind that I feed Atar here."  
  
"It's fine," Ororo said softly, smiling.  
  
The microwave beeped and Jean got the plate out. The plate floated out of her hand onto the table in front of Theo. Jean also grabbed some silverware from a drawer and it floated from her hand to Theo, who grabbed it before it touched the table.  
  
"Thank you Dr. Gray," Theo said and she began to eat.  
  
All of a sudden, there was a -bamph- sound outside the kitchen and the smell of sulfur. A second later, a blue skinned man appeared in the middle of the kitchen. "Oh, guten tag," the man said with a heavy German accent to Theo. "You must be the new teacher. I am Kurt Vagner, but in the Munich circus I vas known as Nightcrawler."  
  
"It's not for sure yet that I will be staying," Theo said in German.  
  
"You speak German?" Kurt said in amazement.  
  
Theo nodded and smiled. "My name is Theodora O'Malley."  
  
"A pleasure to meet you," Kurt then switched back to English. "Jean, Scott, you must help me get the children to bed this night."  
  
"Right, goodnight everyone," Scott said, and then he walked out, Kurt close behind.  
  
"Dr. Gray," Theo said softly. "I will remain in my room until the professor comes tomorrow."  
  
"I'll get you once he comes," Jean said, and then she left the kitchen, following Kurt and Scott.  
  
Theo quickly finished her dinner and walked to the sink. She was about to start washing it when Ororo stopped her.  
  
"That's all right Theo," the white haired woman said. "I'm sure you're tired from you trip here. I'll take care of that."  
  
"Thank you Ms. Monroe," Theo said. She walked back to the table and took the dog dish off the floor. "Come along Atar." She then walked out of the kitchen towards her room.  
  
~~~  
  
The next day, Xavier returned to the mansion and as soon as he was inside his office, he asked Jean to send the new teacher down to his study.  
  
As Jean walked up the stairs to Theo's room, she hoped that Theo would stay at the school. This woman intrigued her; she seemed so sad and withdrawn all the time. She knocked on the door to Theo's room and said, "The professor is here Theo, he wants to speak with you right away."  
  
The door flew open a few minutes later and the young woman stepped out into the hallway. Theo hurried down the hallway, almost running, Atar close at her side.  
  
Jean watched the woman, a smile on her face at Theo's eagerness to meet the professor.  
  
Theo stopped short outside Xavier's study, a little out of breath. She knocked lightly on the door and then opened it, walking inside. Sitting behind a large desk was the professor, sitting in a wheelchair.   
  
"Ah, hello Ms. O'Malley," Xavier said, looking up. "I am Professor Charles Xavier. I'm pleased to see that you arrived without any trouble." He moved the chair back and then around the desk, stopping just in front of Theo.  
  
"Thank you sir," Theo said softly.  
  
"Have a seat please," Xavier said, motioning to a chair near him. "Jean has told me that you wanted to talk with me about your teaching position."  
  
"That's correct," Theo said, sitting down. "I want to make sure that my staying will be definite before I even begin to think of settling down here."  
  
Xavier sat back in his chair and said, "I have already decided that your teaching position that I offered you is certain. However, it is up to you if you stay."   
  
Theo opened her mouth to speak when Xavier held up a hand to stop her.  
  
"There is more to this school than meets the eye Ms. O'Malley. And I must show it to you before you decide on joining us here," he said. With that, Xavier turned his chair towards the door and said, "Follow me please."  
  
~~~  
  
The elevator doors opened and Xavier pushed his chair down the hallway of the lower level of the mansion.  
  
Theo stepped out of the elevator behind Xavier and stopped short, looking down the hallway. "Amazing," she murmured, walking down the hallway.  
  
"These are the uniforms that the X-Men wear," Xavier said, stopping in front of the uniforms.  
  
"So they're not a myth," Theo said, looking at Storm's uniform.  
  
"Where did you hear about them?" Xavier asked.  
  
Theo just smiled and shook her head.  
  
Xavier then pushed the chair to the door that was behind the uniforms. It opened and he motioned for Theo to walk inside ahead of him.  
  
Theo gasped in shock when she saw what was inside the room. A large jet was inside the room, it was sleek and looked like nothing the military had. "Absolutely incredible," Theo murmured. She walked forward and ran her hand along the bottom of the wing.  
  
"The X-Men fight to protect humans from a mutant called Magneto," Xavier said, watching Theo. "How do you feel about humans and their view of us Ms. O'Malley?"  
  
"I believe that they are misinformed about us, and that is why they fear us," Theo said. "I would give anything to show them that we are not evil as we are portrayed to be."  
  
"Then join the X-Men and you will be able to do just that," Xavier said  
  
Theo turned around and said, "I shall stay then sir."  
  
"You can call me Professor, Ms. O'Malley," Xavier said.  
  
"Then call me Eleanor," Theo said, smiling. Seeing Xavier's questioning look, she quickly said, "It's my middle name."  
  
"Welcome to the X-Men Eleanor," Xavier said, holding his hand out to her.  
  
Theo walked over and they shook hands quickly. 


	3. Chapter 2: First Day

A/N: Big thanks to Alyssa for your review of the first 2 chapters. I'm glad that you find Theo and her dog interesting. Also, thank you for pointing out that it's Grey not Gray. I'll try not to make that mistake again, but if I do, I'm very sorry.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men or any of the characters. Only a few people here and there are mine.  
  
Chapter Two  
First Day  
  
A few minutes later, Theo sat down in front of Xavier's desk while the Professor sat behind the desk. "What more is there that you need from me Professor?" she asked.  
  
"I gather from what you said earlier that you are a mutant," Xavier said, folding his hands on top of the desk. "If you don't mind telling me, I would like to know what your powers are."  
  
Theo glanced down at Atar, who was lying next to her. Then she looked up and stared at Xavier across the desk.  
  
"I have the ability to speak to others in my mind and in turn hear their thoughts," Theo said in Xavier's mind.  
  
"I get the feeling that there's more to your abilities than just this," Xavier answered back telepathically.  
  
Theo smiled and then glanced at a pen near Xavier's hand and shifted her head backwards ever so slightly. The pen immediately slid across the desk and when it reached the edge, it floated up and then onto Theo's hand.  
  
Xavier smiled and nodded, obviously pleased. "Jean has the same powers as you do Eleanor, but yours seem to be more powerful," he said. "Now that that matter has been settled, I would like to discuss what you plan to teach the students."  
  
Theo nodded, and the pen floated back to Xavier.  
  
~~~  
  
That night, Scott, Jean, Ororo, Logan, and Kurt and met with Xavier in his study to discuss the newest edition to the staff.  
  
"So she's more powerful than I am?" Jean asked, surprised.  
  
"Very," Xavier said.  
  
"How do you know if all she did was move a pen?" Price asked.  
  
"I tried to read her mind, but I was unable to. And I tried to find her through Cerebro once, but was unsuccessful" Xavier answered.  
  
"Then how did you contact her to ask about teaching here?" Scott asked.  
  
"I didn't, she wrote to me asking if there was any chance of her getting a teaching position here," Xavier said.  
  
"And without knowing what kind of person she is, you let her join the X-Men just like that?" Scott asked a touch of annoyance in his voice.  
  
Xavier was silent and then looked over at the pen that Theo had levitated earlier that day. He glanced back at the others and said, "I feel that she will be an asset to our group. She does not seem like she would betray our ideals and goals."  
  
"Then you sensed it too Professor?" Jean asked.  
  
"Sensed what?" Ororo asked.  
  
"I feel deep depression and loneliness when I get near her," Jean said.  
  
"Yes, I sense it too," Xavier murmured.  
  
"If I can talk to you about something different Chuck," Logan said suddenly, changing the subject.  
  
~~~  
  
Two days later was Theo's first day of teaching classes. She got up early that day and went down to the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning Eleanor," Xavier said as she stepped inside the room.  
  
"Oh! Good morning to you Professor," Theo answered, a little startled.  
  
"Is everything all right, it is rather early," Xavier asked. He was at the table, drinking a cup of tea and eating a buttered scone.  
  
"I'm a bit nervous about my classes today and couldn't sleep any longer," Theo answered. Then she started to fix her breakfast.  
  
As she did that, Xavier surreptitiously studied the young woman.  
  
Theo was of average height and was in her late twenties. She had auburn hair that reached down to the middle of her back which was in a French braid. Also, she had intense blue eyes that always seemed to look sad. She was wearing black trousers and a powder blue blouse.  
  
After fixing a small breakfast, Theo walked over to the table and sat across from Xavier.  
  
"What book are you planning on having the students read first?" Xavier asked.  
  
"I believe that I need to see at what level the students are before I give them a book," Theo answered.  
  
Xavier opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when Logan walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Any coffee here?" he asked sleepily.  
  
"No, but there is tea Logan," Xavier replied.  
  
Logan grumbled under his breath and got coffee going in a coffee pot. "So, first day of classes for ya Thee?" he asked.  
  
Theo looked over at Logan, a little startled at his nickname for her. "Yes it is Lo," she replied, her eyes flashing defiantly.  
  
Xavier chuckled at Logan's surprise at Theo's nickname.  
  
"What time will you be finished with classes today?" Logan asked.  
  
"Sometime around three," Theo replied. "Why?"  
  
"I need to see how you do in-" Logan began.  
  
"Why don't you let her get settled in before we do that Logan," Xavier interrupted softly.  
  
Logan shrugged and then poured himself a cup of coffee. He sat down next to Xavier at the table and the rest of the meal was passed in silence between the three.  
  
~~~  
  
Theo looked around the classroom that Ororo had led her to. It was near Ororo's classroom in the atrium, so it was huge. The room was covered with tall bookshelves on three of its walls. The fourth wall was covered by a large chalkboard. "It could use a few plants," Theo said, glancing around.  
  
"I have a greenhouse," Ororo said from the doorway. "If you'd like, you may pick out some plants to bring in here."  
  
"That would be wonderful," Theo said softly. She walked up to the large desk that was to the left of the chalkboard and set down the notebook she had been carrying.   
  
"I finish classes at a quarter to three, so I'll come and get you," Ororo said.  
  
"Thank you," Theo said. Once Ororo had left, Theo set down the large pillow she had also been carrying. "Go on Atar, lay down," she said to the dog next to her. As soon as the dog had lain down, Theo could hear the chatter of children outside. She took a deep breath and said, "Here goes nothing."  
  
~~~  
  
Theo's first class contained about six children. She had written her name on the chalkboard as they sat at the tables in the middle of the room. "Good morning to all of you," she began softly. "I am Theodora O'Malley your Literature teacher. Since I am new, I'd like each one of you to tell me your name. Why don't we start with you on the end there?"  
  
It only took a few minutes for all the students to introduce themselves. Once they were done, Theo stood from her desk and passed out papers to each student. "This is just a small survey so that I know at what level of reading you all are at," she said. "Once you have finished with that, please put it on my desk and sit at your seat again."  
  
Once all the students had turned in their surveys, Theo quickly went through them. When she had finished, she stood up and said, "The reason I had to see what level of reading you are all at is so I know what book we shall be reading first." She smiled and then said, "And it looks as if the first book we will be reading is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte." Then she turned and six copies of Jane Eyre flew down from a high shelf and to each child.  
  
"Today we shall be starting the first chapter," Theo said after everyone had a copy of the book. "I'll start reading out loud and then ask each of you to read at least two paragraphs." She walked around to the front of the desk and leaned against it. She cleared her voice and then read the first two paragraphs.  
  
"'There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question.  
  
I was glad of it; I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed.'"  
  
Theo finished reading and then looked at each student. "Josh, why don't you read the next two paragraphs?" she said.  
  
"Yes Ms. O'Malley," the boy said, blushing slightly. Then he looked down at the book and started to read. "'The said Eliza, John, and Georgiana were now clustered around their mamma in the drawing-room...'"  
  
Xavier, who did not have a class until later, stopped outside Theo's classroom and listened to her read. He smiled and watched her for a few moments before someone walked up behind him.  
  
"Are you all right Professor?" Jean said softly.  
  
"She is blocking me from her mind right now," Xavier answered, his eyes still on Theo.  
  
"There's a lot she is hiding from us, isn't there?" Jean asked.  
  
Xavier turned and then went down the hallway towards his classroom, Jean followed him. "I would like it if you or Ororo would try and become friendlier with her."  
  
"I think Storm has invited her to the greenhouse after their classes," Jean said.  
  
"Good," Xavier said, going into the elevator.  
  
~~~  
  
That afternoon after the last bunch of students left the classroom, Theo quickly straightened up the room.   
  
Ororo knocked on the open door and said, "How were your classes Theo?"  
  
"Oh, hello Ms. Monroe," Theo said.  
  
"No need to call me that, just Ororo or Storm," Ororo said.  
  
Theo smiled and said, "It went perfectly fine."  
  
"Are you ready to go?" Ororo asked.  
  
"All set," Theo answered. She walked to the door and said, "Come along Atar." The dog got up off the pillow and followed Theo and Ororo out of the house.  
  
As they walked out of the mansion and towards the greenhouse, Ororo pointed out to Theo the different parts of the expansive backyard that were used by the children.  
  
When they entered the greenhouse, Theo said, "You come here after you are done teaching every day, don't you?"  
  
Ororo glanced at Theo and then smiled. "It relaxes me," she answered. "Go ahead and look at the plants on that side of the room. I'll be in the second greenhouse through that passage." She motioned to a door at the end of the room.   
  
"Thank you Ororo," Theo said, walking over to the plants. She began studying each plant closely, reading the tags that Ororo had attached to each pot.  
  
About an hour later, Ororo came back into the greenhouse that Theo was in. "I'm all finished, have you found anything?" she asked.  
  
"There are these plants I'd like to take to the classroom," Theo answered. There were five plants with flowers in various stages of blooming.   
  
"All right," Ororo said. Then she turned and looked at the other side of the room. "You may want to put this one next to your desk." She picked up large a rose bush that was as high as her thighs.  
  
"Oh, you don't have to give that to me Ororo," Theo said hesitatingly.  
  
"Take it, it really doesn't go with the other plants in here," Ororo said, smiling.  
  
"Thank you so much," Theo whispered. She turned to the plants and they all floated a few feet off the air. "Should we head back now?"  
  
Ororo nodded; surprised that Theo could float the plants and talk to her at the same time. Jean had not been able to do that without some difficulty for sometime before Alkali Lake. She hurried over to the door and opened it so the plants could go through.  
  
The walk up to the mansion was passed in silence, the only sound being Atar's panting and occasional sniffing.  
  
Theo glanced up at the mansion and said, "How did you come by your powers Ororo?"  
  
Ororo looked over at her, startled and then smiled. "That's a long story. I'll tell you after dinner okay?"  
  
Theo returned her smile and then said, "All right."  
  
~~~  
  
Later that night, Theo was placing the plants from the greenhouse in her classroom. She was about to put the last plant down when there was a knock on the door. She whirled around to face the doorway.  
  
"Good evening Eleanor," Xavier said.  
  
"Hello Professor," Theo answered softly, smiling.  
  
"I stopped to ask if you would like to play a game of chess." Xavier asked.  
  
"I'd love to," Theo answered. She set down the plant she had been holding and walked out of the classroom, following Xavier who was going down the hallway towards his study. She walked in behind him and saw a wooden chess set by the desk. She sat down in the chair across from Xavier and said, "I haven't been able to play chess for a long time."  
  
  
Xavier looked up at her and smiled. "I'll go easy on you then," he said and moved a pawn forward on the board.  
  
As the game progressed, it became obvious that Theo and Xavier were both even in their chess playing skills. After half an hour, they both captured the same number of pieces.  
  
Then Xavier moved his knight and said, "Check."  
  
Theo leaned forward and studied the board for a few moments. She put a finger to her lips and then smiled. She then moved her bishop forward and looked at Xavier saying, "Checkmate, Professor."  
  
Xavier frowned and looked at the board, and then he chuckled and said, "Well done. The last person I played with that had any amount of ability was Erik Lehnsherr."  
  
Theo looked at him quizzically. "Who is he?" she asked.  
  
"He is Magneto, the man who believes that all humans are worthless," Xavier said a little sadly.  
  
Theo looked down at the chessboard as an uncomfortable silence descended upon them. "Well I suppose I should go to bed now," she said awkwardly.  
  
"Yes of course, it is getting rather late," Xavier said. "Would you mind helping me set the board back up before you leave?"  
  
"Not at all," Theo said.  
  
With that they placed all the pieces back where they belonged on the board.  
  
"I seem to be missing my queen piece," Xavier said once they had finished.  
  
"Oh, it's here on the floor. I must have knocked it over," Theo said. She reached over and picked it up. "Here you go." She held out the piece to Xavier who took it from her.  
  
When he took the piece, his finger touched Theo's palm. He was startled when he looked over at Theo, and saw she was blushing a deep red. "Everything all right?" he asked.  
  
"Just fine," Theo answered quickly. "I-I must go now, I'm very tired." With that she got up and all but ran from the study. Once she had gotten up to her room, she slammed the door behind her and locked it tightly.  
  
Atar who had been asleep on the bed looked up at her.  
  
Theo walked over to the window seat and looked out in to the night. She closed her eyes and brought the hand that Xavier had brushed with his fingers to rest over her heart. A single tear fell down her cheek; a symbol of her tormented feelings. 


	4. Chapter 3: Theo's Testing

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men or any of the characters. Only a few people here and there are mine. And the excerpts from the books Jane Eyre and Moby Dick don't belong to me, they belong to their perspective authors.  
  
Chapter Three  
Theo's Testing  
  
Somewhere on an island east of Nova Scotia, three mutants were awaiting the arrival of their boss. Their headquarters were in a large building built over a waterfall.  
  
"Why the hell couldn't he have picked somewhere warmer?" John, whose code name was Pyro, muttered. He was rubbing his arms through his coat, cheeks red with cold.  
  
"Because Pyro," Magneto said, walking into the room. "The cold will strengthen you for what is to come."  
  
"What's that sir?" a man next to Magneto said. His name was Zach, his code name Mesmero.  
  
"Has the new teacher arrived at the school?" Magneto asked the woman next to him.  
  
"She has," Mystique, a blue skinned mutant, answered.  
  
Magneto smiled and then said, "For the first part, we shall be bringing the new teacher here for a little visit."  
  
"When?" Mesmero asked.  
  
"Soon," Magneto answered grinning.  
  
~~~  
  
"Today we'll be reading chapter thirty of Moby Dick today," Theo said to her class. It was Friday afternoon, three weeks after she had arrived, and Theo was trying to keep the students from acting unruly in her class, as they did in their other classes on Fridays. She found however, that when the students actually where sitting in front of her, they paid attention and treated her with respect. "Since this chapter is short, we will be having a discussion about what we've read so far," she said, smiling down at the class.  
  
"'When Stubb had departed, Ahab stood for a while leaning over the bulwark; and then, as had been usual of him of late, calling a sailor of the watch, he sent him below for his ivory stool, and also his pipe. Lighting the pipe at the binnacle lamp and planting the stool on the weather side of the deck, he sat and smoked.'"  
  
When the chapter had been finished, Theo allowed the students to close up their books and take out some paper. "Now, do any of you know what symbolism there is in Ahab throwing his pipe over into the sea?" she asked.  
  
A few students raised their hands a little hesitantly.  
  
"What do you think Rogue," Theo said to the girl sitting at the table near the window.  
  
"Well..." the girl began to say. "Ah think that by throwin' the pipe into the ocean, Ahab's gettin' rid of all his things that he holds deah to him. Like he's givin' up on his life just so he can catch that whale."  
  
"An excellent observation Rogue," Xavier said, coming into the class room.  
  
"Good afternoon Professor," Theo said, a little curious as to why he was here. "Is there anything I can help you with?"  
  
"There is," Xavier answered. "I need to speak with you privately."  
  
"Very well," Theo said. She turned to her students. "You're all dismissed early today. And I'd like you to write a paragraph on what you think will happen to Captain Ahab. Turn it in to me by Tuesday."  
  
The students all got up and left hurriedly. Some of the boys were yelling since they got to leave class early and it was the weekend.  
  
Theo watched the last student leave and smiled. "They seem to enjoy the class, but once they step out into that hallway," she said. "They haven't a care in the world."  
  
"Such is the role of children," Xavier answered, smiling at Theo. "Anyhow, the reason I came is that you must take a series of tests to become one of the X-Men."  
  
Theo nodded and looked a little apprehensive. "When do the tests begin?"  
  
Xavier gave her a reassuring smile and said, "Right now."  
  
~~~  
  
The first test that Theo took was one that tested her telepathic abilities. To do this, Theo sat at the table in the kitchen while Jean sat at the table in the dinning room. They both had a pile of cards with pictures of various items on them. First, Theo sent Jean the images of what were on the cards she had through her mind.  
  
Jean had a pad of paper in front of her and a pencil. She called out to Theo to start and then she opened her mind so she could hear what the young woman would say.  
  
Theo looked down at the first card, it was a cow. "Cow," she said in her mind. Then she looked at the second card, a house, and said it in her mind. For the rest of the first part of this test, she would look at the card and tell Jean what was on it through her mind.  
  
"Dog, sun, book, apple, glass, river, trees," Theo said inside her head. Then she stopped as she had run out of cards.  
  
"The second part of this is that you must listen to Jean say what's on her cards," Xavier said from the kitchen doorway.  
  
Theo nodded and picked up the pencil near her hand. She opened her mind and heard Jean's voice telling her what she saw on her cards. She wrote them all down on a piece of paper and then handed the paper to Xavier.  
  
"They're all correct," he said. "And Jean was able to hear you clearly during the first part. Now onto the second test. Follow me please." He turned and left the kitchen, Theo behind him. He went outside to a small walled off courtyard where Ororo was standing next to a stack of weights. "This will test your telekinetic abilities," he explained. "You will lift up each weight and place them in a row from lightest to heaviest, halfway across the grass."  
  
Theo nodded and then walked over to the weights and studied them for a few moments. Then she stepped back to stand next to Ororo. She lifted her right hand, the palm facing the sky, and the first weight lifted up and floated over to the halfway point of the courtyard. There were ten weights and the last one was at least three hundred pounds. Theo had no problem in lifting that weight using her power and setting it next to the other weights.  
  
"That was very good," Xavier said, smiling.  
  
"Impressive," Ororo said. "It took Jean years to be able to lift the last weight and move it without it wobbling."  
  
"The second part of this test will be that you must place the weights back the way they were," Xavier then said. "And to really challenge you, Storm will create a wind storm to make it more difficult."   
  
He nodded to Ororo, and her eyes turned white and the wind began to pick up.  
  
Theo thanked herself for putting her hair up in a bun that day so it would not impede her in this test. She then concentrated on the weights and they all lifted up at once. They flew over to where Ororo was standing and one by one they were stacked on top of each other from heaviest to lightest.  
  
Ororo's eyes returned to their blue color and the wind died down.  
  
"Excellent," Xavier said. "There is one more test and then you will be able to join the X-Men."  
  
~~~  
  
"Been waitin' to get ya down here Thee," Logan drawled as she and Xavier exited the elevator.  
  
Theo was wearing a sleek black cat suit with light blue trim that had a belt with a silver X on the buckle. Her hair was in a ponytail, held by a silver ribbon.  
  
"And it looks like ya got one of the better training suits," Logan said grinning.  
  
"Your last test will be inside the Danger Room," Xavier said going into a small room with various keyboards and computer screens. "This room," he said motioning out the window in front of him, "Is what the X-Men use to train. Using these computers, I am able to have the X-Men practice in different situations and environments."  
  
"And for ya Theo, you'll be in a 'special' sequence that I designed myself to meet your abilities," Logan said, smirking. He walked over to a keyboard and typed out a few numbers, and then he went over to another and then typed out: Level 1. "Just go down those stairs and then I'll start the simulation for ya," he said as a metal staircase appeared behind an open door by the window.  
  
Theo nodded and took a deep breath to brace herself.  
  
"Good luck Eleanor," Xavier said as Theo walked to the stairs.  
  
She glanced back and smiled weakly at the Professor before going down.  
  
"Eleanor?" Logan asked.  
  
"Her middle name," Xavier answered. "I hope that this 'sequence' you created, Logan, isn't too hard on her."  
  
Logan grinned and drawled, "Don't worry Chuck, your darlin' Eleanor won't get hurt."  
  
Xavier gave Logan a sharp glance and then rolled his chair over to the window so he could watch.  
  
Theo reached the bottom of the stairs and walked to the middle of the room where a single light was shinning down. The metal staircase disappeared behind her and Logan's voice permeated into the large silver room.  
  
"In this sequence you'll need to make it to the finish line. If your blood pressure, which is read by your suit, drops below fifty, it means you've been 'killed.' If ya get 'killed' twice by any of the objects, the simulation will end," Logan said. "Any questions Thee?" When she shook her head no, he pressed a green button. "Then get ready."  
  
Theo breathed in and out and then closed her eyes. She heard the whining screech of a saw and then did a back flip and opened her eyes. She was inside what looked to be a large field near a castle in Ireland.  
  
Up in the control room, Xavier looked over at Logan. "Ireland?" he asked.  
  
"Just wanted to see how she would react to this," he answered.  
  
Back inside the danger room, Theo ran towards the castle, which she assumed was the finish line. She had only run a few steps when two huge rottwilers ran towards her. Without even flinching, she ran faster towards the dogs and they suddenly stopped in their tracks. The dogs then floated up into the air and were thrown by an unseen force.  
  
The next thing that came up to impede Theo were four metal claws. Seeing them just before they caught her, she wasn't able to think of a way to get past them. The claws clamped tightly on her arms and legs and lifted her high up into the air. Theo struggled but the claws wouldn't move. She suddenly relaxed and the claws let her go.  
  
Theo fell rapidly and curled up into a ball. Just before she hit the ground, she stretched out her body and managed to roll on the field until she was able to stop. She jumped up and ran on towards the castle again, oblivious to the large gash on her forehead and the bruise forming on her right cheek.  
  
"Did she die from the fall?" Xavier asked.  
  
Logan looked over at a computer screen. On it was Theo's blood pressure, it read: 100/120. "Blood Pressure's normal," he answered, his eyes narrowed in confusion.  
  
Back on the field, Theo had come up against her next obstacle. A heavy fog had filled the field and surrounded her. She lifted her arms and opened them wide, and a large path appeared before her. She started to run again and she was near the castle when the last part of the test jumped in front of her.  
  
A tall dark haired man dressed in a black suit was standing in front of Theo. He raised the cane in his hand and it floated out of his hand and flew towards Theo.  
  
Theo threw herself down on the ground before the cane could hit and looked up at the man. She tried to lift the man with her mind, but found she was unable to. She pushed herself off of the ground and ran to the man. When she reached him, she hit him with a high kick.  
  
That started the fight between Theo and the dark haired man. Both used martial arts to fight, and after a few minutes, Theo was able to kick the man to the ground and he disappeared. She ran to the castle and as soon as she reached the gate, the whole field and castle disappeared and she was back inside the Danger Room. Theo looked up at Xavier in the Control Room and swayed slightly on her feet, blood trickling down her face from the gash on her forehead, her hair loose around her shoulders because she lost the silver ribbon.  
  
Inside the control room, Logan hurriedly made the stairs to the control room re-appear and clattered down it to Theo. "You okay?" he asked her.  
  
"Fine," Theo murmured.   
  
"C'mon," Logan said gruffly, taking her arm and leading her to the staircase.  
  
"Are you all right Eleanor?" Xavier asked worriedly when she and Logan entered the Control Room.  
  
"I'm fine," Theo said softly.  
  
"Logan, take her to the medical room," Xavier said, looking at the gash on Theo's forehead. "Jean will patch that up for you."  
  
~~~  
  
Inside the medical room, Theo was laying on a table, waiting for Jean to sew up the gash on her forehead.   
  
Jean walked back to where Theo was laying and injected an anesthetic to numb the wound. As she started to sew, she said to Logan who was standing near the table, "Why did you give her such a hard sequence?"  
  
"It wasn't hard," Logan said, raising an eyebrow. "She was able to finish it-"  
  
"That's not what I meant," Jean interrupted. "I've never had to give anyone stitches after their session in the Danger Room."  
  
"That's not my fault Red," Logan said angrily. Then he turned and left the room as quickly as he could.  
  
Jean stopped stitching for a moment and watched Logan leave. She sighed and shook her head slightly. She then started to sew up the wound again, waiting for Theo to ask questions. Theo remained quiet and as Jean finished, she asked the woman on the table, "Are you all right?"  
  
Theo smiled and said, "You are wondering why I'm not asking you about Logan."  
  
Jean glanced down at her, surprised at the knowing smile on the woman's face. "Were you reading my mind?" Jean asked.   
  
"Do not worry," Theo said softly. "I did not enter your mind and read it. Sometimes when a person is very emotional about something, their mind screams it out loud and I am able to hear it. So I know all about the situation with Logan."  
  
Jean put down the needle and got some gauze to cover the wound. As she taped the gauze on, she said, "The professor was right, your powers are very strong."  
  
"Have you ever doubted the Professor?" Theo asked incredulously.  
  
Before Jean could answer the question, the door opened and Xavier entered with Scott and Ororo behind him.  
  
"Will she be all right Jean?" Xavier asked.  
  
Jean stepped back from the table as Theo sat up. "She'll be fine, but she should rest for the rest of today and tomorrow," she said.  
  
Xavier nodded and then turned to Theo. "After talking with the others, I've decided that you are very much qualified to join the X-Men," he said.   
  
Theo blushed slightly and smiled saying, "Thank you," softly then she shook Xavier's outstretched hand. When she let go of his hand, she looked over at Scott and nodded to him.  
  
Scott shook his head and left the room.  
  
"Sorry Theo," Jean said. "Make sure she goes up to her room to rest, Storm," she then called as she hurried to catch up to Scott.  
  
"You heard the doctor Thee," Logan drawled, walking into the room. "You'd better get your rest."  
  
Theo smiled and got down from the table.  
  
"Logan," Ororo said as he followed Theo out the door. "I need to speak with you now, privately."  
  
"Yeah, sure thing 'Ro," Logan answered. Then he turned to Xavier, "I don't think Thee should head back to her room alone Chuck."  
  
Xavier nodded and then followed Theo out of the Medical Room.  
  
"What's all this about?" Logan asked once the two were gone.  
  
"Jean wants us to meet her in my greenhouse to discuss something," Ororo said.  
  
"Let's go then," Logan said.  
  
~~~  
  
"Is everything alright Jean?" Ororo asked when she and Logan stepped into the greenhouse.  
  
"I just wanted to talk about what's going on with Theo," Jean said  
  
"What about her?" Logan asked, glancing over at Scott.  
  
"Do you mean the way she acts around the Professor?" Ororo asked.  
  
"So you noticed it too?" Jean asked.  
  
"It's not like she's hiding it," Logan said. "The way she acts around him."  
  
"What does it matter how she acts around Professor?" Scott said angrily.  
  
The others looked over at Scott in surprise.  
  
"I think that this O'Malley woman is really working for Magneto and he's put her up to seduce the Professor," Scott spat. "That way he'll be so focused on her that he'll forget that Magneto has planned something until it's too late."  
  
"I can assure you that I am not a part of Magneto's group," a soft came from behind Scott and Jean. Theo was standing in the doorway, the Professor next to her, and Atar on the other side of the Professor. "And also that I have no intention of distracting you from stopping whatever he will do next." Her face was pale and her eyes were filled with unshed tears.  
  
"I want to speak with you in my study Scott," Xavier said angrily.  
  
Theo turned to leave the greenhouse, but Xavier stopped her.  
  
"I will speak with you later in your room," he said to her telepathically.  
  
Theo nodded slightly and then left as fast as she could, Atar following her.  
  
Logan shook his head and said, "Nice goin' Laser." Then he walked out of the greenhouse towards the mansion.  
  
Ororo just shook her head and went back into her second greenhouse.  
  
"I guess I'll see you later," Jean said to Scott quietly.  
  
"No, come along Jean, after all, you are his fiancée," Xavier said then he turned and went up to the mansion.  
  
~~~  
  
"Scott," Xavier began calmly when they had entered his study. "I would like to hear why you are so opposed to Eleanor joining the X-Men."  
  
Scott shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess it's because you can't get into her mind."  
  
"Ah, and you believe that because of this, she must be hiding something like her being a part of Magneto's group?" Xavier asked.  
  
"Well, yeah," Scott answered.  
  
"Then would it make you feel better Scott, if I spoke to her about her past and where she came from?" Xavier asked.  
  
Scott shook his head. "I'd like it better if Jean or Storm talked to her. Not you," he said firmly.  
  
"Why?" Jean asked, confused.  
  
"Yes Scott," Xavier asked. "Why on earth would you object to me talking to Eleanor?"  
  
"How do you feel about her sir?" Scott retorted.  
  
"I believe that she can be trusted-" Xavier started to say.  
  
"No, not whether or not you think she can be trusted," Scott said. "Do you love her?"  
  
"Scott!" Jean gasped.  
  
Xavier's jaw clenched in anger. "That is a very personal question to ask me Scott," he said in a low voice. "And I cannot answer it. Now if you will excuse me, I shall go to Eleanor and speak with her about her past." With that he left the study, leaving Scott and Jean behind.  
  
"I can't believe you asked him that Scott," Jean said.  
  
"He is in love with her," Scott said, ignoring her.  
  
"So? What's the matter with that?" Jean asked him.  
  
"If they get too close, the Professor might lose sight of his mission," Scott pointed out.  
  
Jean gave a small snort of laughter. "Scott, you and I are engaged and we work together," she said. "And the Professor has said nothing to us about losing sight of the X-Men's goals."  
  
Scott shook his head at that and left the study, Jean following him.  
  
~~~  
  
Xavier stopped in front of Theo's door and he knocked on it softly.  
  
Behind the door, Theo asked, "Who is it?"  
  
"It's me Eleanor, I would like to speak with you," Xavier said.  
  
The door opened and Theo said, "Please come in Professor." She closed the door behind him and then walked over to an armchair, sitting down.  
  
"I have talked to Scott," Xavier began, stopping his wheelchair a few feet in front of Theo. "He would like me to talk with you about your past, that way he can be sure that you were not a part of Magneto's group."  
  
Theo looked down at her hands and then back at Xavier. "I-I-I can't sir," she stammered.  
  
"Why not?" Xavier asked softly.  
  
"I-I, it hurts to talk of my past," Theo said softly, tears welling in her eyes. "Please don't ask me to do so."  
  
"Well, maybe if you talked about it, you would feel better Eleanor," Xavier said softly.  
  
"No!" Theo cried, standing up and walking to the window. "I have tried to do so before, and I only felt worse." Then she buried her face in her hands and the sounds of her harsh sobbing filled the room.  
  
"Eleanor?" Xavier said worriedly. He went over to her and touched her back softly. "Eleanor, please. I want to help you; I would like to take that pain away."  
  
Theo looked at Xavier, moving her hands from her face and then sitting on the window seat. "Maybe... one day, I shall tell you Professor," she said softly, tears still streaming down her face.  
  
Xavier studied her for a few moments, then lifted his hand and placed it on her cheek. He wiped the tears away with his thumb softly.  
  
Theo stopped crying and started at Xavier, surprise in her eyes. Then she leaned forward as Xavier did the same.  
  
Their lips were only a couple inches away, when a knock at the door stopped them.  
  
"Who is it?" Theo asked, pulling back, her cheeks red.  
  
"It's Ororo, Theo," a voice said from the other side of the door. "It's our turn to watch the kids out back."  
  
"I'll be right there," Theo called out. She looked over at Xavier and said, "I have to go."  
  
"Will you play a game of chess with me tonight?" he asked as she stood.   
  
"I would love to," Theo answered, smiling. "Come along Atar." With that, she and the dog left the room. 


	5. Chapter 4: A New Power

A/N: Thanks to Bluemist for your review of the last chapter, glad that you like the pairings I have here.  
  
A/N #2: I forgot to mention another pairing that I'll be mentioning in this story Rogue/Bobby.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men or any of the characters. Only a few people here and there are mine.  
  
Chapter Four  
A New Power  
  
"I'm sorry Ororo," Theo said, walking with Storm to the back of mansion. "I forgot that I was to help you watch the children."  
  
"It's alright," Ororo said, opening the back door. "How are you feeling by the way?"  
  
"I'm fine," Theo answered as the two walked to the basketball court where most of the kids were playing. "Thank you for coming to get me despite Dr. Gray's wish for me to rest."  
  
"You're welcome Theo," Ororo said. "I'm going to go watch the kids that are playing on the field. Call me if anything goes wrong."  
  
"I will," Theo called after Ororo as she walked over to the field. She sat down on a bench that was on the side of the basketball court and then turned her attention to the children playing basketball in front of her.  
  
"Hello Ms. O'Malley!" one of the boys called to her, waving.  
  
"Hello," Theo answered.  
  
  
The boy ran over to where she was sitting and said, "Want to play with us?"  
  
Theo laughed and said, "I would love to."  
  
"Good," the boy, whose name was Sam, said.  
  
Theo stood up and followed the boy to his group of friends.  
  
"Ms. O'Malley said she'll play with us," Sam said to the others.  
  
"Can you play basketball?" one of the boys asked.  
  
"How about a game of Horse?" Theo asked.  
  
"Okay," the kids said.  
  
"You go first Ms. O'Malley," a young girl said, handing the basketball to Theo.  
  
"Okay, I'm going to try from back here," Theo said, going back to the three point line.  
  
"You can't make it from there!" Sam said teasingly. The kids around him murmured their assent to this.  
  
"Just watch," Theo said laughingly.  
  
*  
  
Inside the mansion, in his office, Xavier watched Theo as she played with the children on the basketball field.  
  
"So you two almost kissed?" a voice behind him asked.  
  
"That is what I told you," Xavier said quietly.  
  
Jean sighed and then walked over to stand next to the professor. "You know that I really don't care whether or not you and Theo decide to go into a relationship-"  
  
"Jean," Xavier said, sighing. "I did not tell you what happened so you could tell me your opinion of me and Eleanor. I told you so that I could get your advice on what I should do next."  
  
"I... I'm afraid I don't understand Professor," Jean said, confused.  
  
Xavier looked out the window at Theo and sighed again. "I have never really been in love with a woman," he said, staring down at Theo intently. "Eleanor though... Jean, I may be intelligent, but I am without a clue on how or if I should even try and start a relationship with her."  
  
Jean stared down at the professor, surprised that he was asking her for advice. Especially romantic advice. But as she watched him, looking out at Theo, she could see that he felt very strongly about her. She thought for a moment before saying something. "Well, before you start a relationship, you need to know if she feels the same about you," Jean said.  
  
Xavier thought about that and then nodded. "I'll-" he started to say, but he was interrupted by a scream from outside.  
  
*  
  
Theo turned around and saw a girl lying at the bottom of the stairs that led down to the basketball court. She ran over to the child, who was crying and clutching her leg in pain. "Shh, it's okay Penny," Theo said, gripping the girl's hands in her own.  
  
"Theo, what happened?" Ororo asked, running up to her.  
  
"I'm not sure," Theo said. She let go of Penny's hands and let Ororo take her place as she moved down to look at the girl's leg. "Penny, I'm afraid you're leg has been broken," Theo said. Then she paled suddenly and she clutched her right wrist.  
  
"Theo?" Ororo asked worriedly.  
  
"My, skin," Theo hissed between her teeth. "It's...it...burns." Finally, tears of pain streaming down her cheeks, she let go of her wrist and put her hands to her eyes. A few moments later, she put her hands down and looked at everyone around her.  
  
"Ms. O'Malley...y-your eyes," one of the children that had gathered said.  
  
Inside the mansion, Xavier looked down at Theo in shock. "Eleanor..." he began inside his mind.  
  
Theo looked down at Penny, who had stopped crying when she had seen Theo's eyes, and then placed her right hand on the broken leg. She closed her eyes briefly and seemed to be concentrating on the leg. Her eyes had turned a silver color and as she stared down at Penny's leg, the silver seemed to drain out of the eyes. Theo took her hand off the leg and then stood up, holding her arm.  
  
"My leg," Penny said, sitting up. "It, I don't think it's broken."  
  
Ororo looked over at Theo, her eyes widened in surprise. "Theo?" she said questioningly.  
  
Theo seemed to sway for a moment, and then she collapsed to the ground.  
  
~~~  
  
"Will she be alright?" Logan asked Jean as she walked through the open door. He, Xavier, Scott, Ororo and Nightcrawler were waiting in the hall outside the medical room.  
  
Jean looked over at Xavier and said, "I'm not that sure."  
  
"Is she awake yet?" Xavier asked.  
  
"She is," Jean answered. "And she said she wants to talk to you Professor."  
  
Xavier nodded and went into the medical room, the door closing behind him. He went over to the side room where Jean had placed beds for those that would need to stay under her watch overnight. In the bed farthest from him, was Theo. He went down the room and then stopped his chair at the side of her bed.  
  
Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be asleep.  
  
Looking at her face for a moment, Xavier reached and took her hand into his own.  
  
Theo opened her eyes and she said, "I was only resting my eyes."  
  
"Jean said you wanted to speak to me," Xavier said, letting go of her hand.  
  
"I just want to know what you can tell me this is," Theo said. She reached down to her right wrist and pulled off the gauze that had been wrapped around it.  
  
Xavier frowned and took her hand in his to look at her skin more closely. A small silver X had seemed to be etched there. He reached out and touched the center of the X very softly with his index finger. "Did that hurt?" he asked Theo.  
  
She shook her head. "It was burning earlier," she said. "Just before I touched Penny's leg. Oh, how is Penny?"  
  
"She's fine, her leg isn't broken... anymore," Xavier said. He let go of Theo's arm and settled back in his chair. "Eleanor, I think that you have acquired another power. The power to heal."  
  
"Another power," Theo said softly, looking down at her wrist. "I... how?"  
  
"I do not know Eleanor," Xavier said. "But I shall have to somehow help you to learn how to use this new power."  
  
The door at the entrance to the medical room opened and Jean stepped inside, walking towards Theo and the Professor.  
  
"I feel fine now Dr. Gray," Theo said. "Could I go now?"  
  
"Professor, do you think...?" Jean asked Xavier.  
  
"I believe that she'll be fine," he said, smiling.  
  
"Alright, but I'd like you to rest so you don't end up collapsing again," Jean said.  
  
"I will," Theo said.  
  
Before Xavier left the medical room, Theo called out to him, "Would you mind coming up to my room later so we can play that game of chess?"  
  
"Not at all," Xavier said, smiling. "I shall see you later tonight."  
  
Jean handed Theo her clothes and closed the curtains around the bed so Theo could change in privacy. "You and the Professor seem to be pretty close," Jean said, sitting on the bed next to the one Theo was in.  
  
"Hmm," Theo said in response, pulling her shirt over her head.  
  
"You know," Jean said. "No one in this school has ever played chess with the Professor."  
  
"That's not too surprising," Theo said. She pushed aside the curtain that was surrounding her bed, finished dressing.  
  
"Well, keep that in mind when you play with him," Jean said standing up and smiling.  
  
"I will Dr. Gray," Theo said.  
  
"It's Jean, and I'll walk with you to your room," Jean said.  
  
The two women left the medical room and walked over to the elevator.  
  
~~~  
  
The next day, Theo met Xavier in his study to begin with trying to learn to use and control her new power.  
  
"How exactly are you going to help me with this Professor?" Theo asked as she sat down in the chair in front of the desk.  
  
Xavier didn't answer her and opened a desk drawer. He withdrew a small knife and set it on the desktop.  
  
Theo's eyes went wide and she said, "Professor, there's got to a better way to do this..." She trailed off when she saw Xavier's expression. "Okay, but I'm not going to practice for too long. I don't want you to collapse from blood loss just so I can gain control of this power," she then said.  
  
"I'll just give myself a small cut on the top of my hand," Xavier said. He grabbed the knife and moved his wheelchair so he was next to Theo. He raised the knife and then cut himself on the top of his hand.  
  
Theo waited until Xavier had put the knife on the desk to move. She placed her right hand on top of his cut one and then she started to concentrate on the cut. Her eyes turned a shiny silver color, and then it drained out quickly. She lifted her hand up and nodded at Xavier. The small cut was gone.  
  
Xavier studied his skin for a moment and the asked Theo, "How do you feel?"  
  
Theo nodded and then asked, "Did it hurt at all when I healed you?"  
  
"No, it felt like you had numbed my skin," Xavier asked. He reached over to the desk and grabbed the dagger once again, cutting the top of his hand.  
  
~~~  
  
  
After fifteen minutes of healing every one of the cuts Xavier gave himself, Theo seemed to become weak.  
  
"Eleanor, are you sure you are okay?" Xavier asked, noticed that her skin had turned an almost grey color.  
  
"I-I think we should stop," Theo said weakly, putting a hand to her forehead.  
  
"Yes," Xavier said, worriedly. "You should go get some rest." He reached out and placed his hand on Theo's forehead after she had moved her own.  
  
There was a flash of light, and the next thing that Xavier knew; he was inside Theo's mind, inside a dark tunnel.  
  
He was in his wheelchair, but as he tried to move it forward, it would not go.  
  
A small girl dressed in blue and silver appeared in the tunnel suddenly. She spoke to Xavier through telepathy. "You will not need that," she said.  
  
Xavier stood up and then walked towards the little girl. He was a bit cautious; the last time he had been in the company of a little girl in this kind of situation had actually been Jason Stryker. Now, however, as he approached this girl, he could see from her blue eyes that it was Theo as a child.  
  
"Come with me sir," the girl said when Xavier reached her. She put out her hand and waited for him to take it. She then turned and pulled Xavier down the tunnel, towards a bright light.  
  
Xavier looked around the tunnel; there were doors on each side of them.   
  
Suddenly, the girl stopped and pointed to the silver door in front of them. "She wants you to see this one," she said, pointing to the door. She let go of Xavier's hand and then seemed to dissolve into the darkness.  
  
Xavier looked at the silver door in front of him and then put his hand on the doorknob, opening the door.  
  
*  
  
It was the Chinese New Year, and Theo was standing in an alley, watching a parade going down the main street of Chinatown in San Francisco. She hesitatingly stepped out of the alley to get a better look at the parade when a boy set off some small firecrackers next to her. Theo jumped and the firecrackers flew up into the air, exploding loudly.  
  
The people near Theo turned to her and they started whispering to each other.  
  
"That woman's a mutant!" some one in the crowd cried.  
  
"She made the firecrackers fly into the air!" another person yelled.  
  
All of a sudden, a hand gripped Theo's shoulder and a gruff voice said, "Don't worry; we'll take care of this mutant freak." The man dragged Theo into the alley, followed by five men as burly as he was. Once inside the alley and hidden from the parade watchers, the man threw Theo down on the ground.  
  
"Who do you think you are mutant?" the leader said. "A normal person?"  
  
Theo got up on her hands and knees, blood dripping from her nose and mouth. "I-I just wanted to see the parade," she whispered.  
  
The men all laughed and the leader then said, "The parade is for humans, not you freak. Now we've got to punish you for trying to pretend you were normal."  
  
The gang surrounded Theo in a circle, closing in on her.  
  
Theo threw as hard as she could with her mind at the men and one fell back onto the ground.  
  
"Get her guys, she's going to use her powers!" the leader yelled.  
  
At that moment, the rest of the gang rushed toward her and started beating her furiously.  
  
When they had finished, they dragged Theo over to a pile of cartons and lay her there.  
  
"Have a nice life freak!" the leader called as the men left the alley.  
  
Theo moaned in pain. Two of her ribs had been broken, and she was bleeding profusely from many cuts all over her body. She opened her eyes a crack and was startled to see a large dog looking down at her. "H-hello boy," she said weakly. "Thank you for giving me some company while I die."  
  
The dog left her vision and then she heard barking.   
  
A few minutes later, she heard the dog panting and two people were with him.  
  
"Ma'am, are you okay?" a policeman said, looking down at her. "Radio for help Smith," he then said to his partner. "You'll be okay ma'am; we'll get you to a hospital."  
  
Theo could have wept with relief. She raised her right hand slowly and the dog that had helped her licked it encouragingly.  
  
*  
  
"Professor?" Jean said to Xavier, her hand on his shoulder.  
  
Xavier opened his eyes and sat up with a start. "What happened?" he asked, his eyes unfocused for a moment.  
  
"I don't know," Jean answered. "I came in here and Theo was on the floor and you were slumped in your chair."  
  
Xavier ran a hand over his face and then looked over to the chair where Theo had been sitting. "Where is she?" he asked.  
  
"Down in the medical room in one of the beds," Jean said. "Sir I think I should take a look at you-"  
  
"I'll be fine," the professor said, pushing his chair out of the study and toward the elevator. 


	6. Chapter 5: Resting

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men or any of the characters. Only a few people here and there are mine.  
  
Chapter Five  
Resting  
  
Theo turned on her side in the hospital bed, trying to get comfortable. Her head was throbbing like crazy and she felt very weak from her meeting with Xavier.  
  
"Are you okay?" Ororo asked. She was standing next to Theo's bed and looked down at her worriedly.  
  
"My head," Theo answered. "It's pounding." Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed Ororo's hand, gripping it tightly.  
  
"Did you tell Jean that you have a headache?" Ororo asked, squeezing Theo's hand back.  
  
"I did," Theo answered. She then sighed and said, "She gave me some aspirin, but I doubt it will help at all."  
  
"How come?" Ororo asked.  
  
"Ororo," Xavier said from the entrance to the room. "I'd like to speak with Eleanor for a moment."  
  
Ororo nodded and then smiled at Theo, letting go of her hand. She walked out to the hallway, closing the door to the room behind her.  
  
"Did you see it?" Theo asked when Xavier stopped next to her bed.  
  
"I did," Xavier answered. "Why did you have me see that particular memory?"  
  
"That was about five years ago," Theo said. "That is the only memory of mine that I wanted to show you."  
  
"You chose an odd time to do that," Xavier said.  
  
"I thought it was best," Theo said shrugging.  
  
All of a sudden, the door to the room flew open and Scott marched in, followed by Jean.  
  
"What is it Scott?" Xavier asked calmly.  
  
"Jean told me that she's collapsed again," Scott said acting as if Theo wasn't even in the room. "How can she fight with the X-Men if she collapses all the time?"  
  
"It's only when I use my healing powers that I grow weak, Scott," Theo said. "I assure you that I will not be using that particular power when I fight with the X-Men."  
  
Scott frowned and then turned and left the room.  
  
"I'm really sorry Theo," Jean said to the woman on the bed. "He'll accept you, don't worry."  
  
"I won't," Theo said, smiling softly.  
  
Jean nodded to the Professor and then she left the room, closing the door.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Xavier asked once he and Theo were alone once again.  
  
"Not good," Theo said truthfully. "I feel very weak. And my head hurts."  
  
"From letting me into your mind?" Xavier asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
Theo nodded. "I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about what you saw," she then said.  
  
Xavier nodded without asking for a reason. "So that's how you came to own Atar?" he asked after they were both silent for a few moments.  
  
Theo smiled and nodded. "He's been a loyal companion, and has protected me a number of times," she said. She then grimaced and lay back against her pillow.  
  
"Have you told Jean that your head hurts?" Xavier asked.  
  
"Yes," Theo whispered.  
  
Xavier looked over at the little bedside table and seeing a wet washcloth there, he picked it up and put it on top of Theo's forehead. "Try to get some rest Eleanor," he then said.  
  
"I will," Theo said.  
  
"I will come down to see you later," Xavier then said.  
  
Theo nodded and then closed her eyes.   
  
Xavier turned and left the room, going back up to his study.  
  
~~~  
  
Jean walked over to Theo's bed and took of the washcloth that Xavier had put there earlier. She then took the woman's temperature quickly in her ear.  
  
"Any chance I can go to my room?" Theo asked suddenly, opening her eyes.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Jean asked.  
  
"Much better," Theo said, sitting up. "How long have I been asleep?"  
  
"About four hours," Jean asked. "I'll go get your clothes and then you can go."  
  
~~~  
  
The next day, Theo was sitting on her bed and reading a book. Jean had told her that she would have to rest in her room for the day, or else she would have a relapse and have to go down to the medical room once again.  
  
There was a knock on the doorway, and Theo looked up to see Rogue and Bobby standing in her doorway. "Hello Rogue, Bobby," she said pleasantly.  
  
"Hi," Rogue said. "We didn't mean to disturb ya, but we wanted to see how you're doing."  
  
"Come in, please," Theo said, smiling. She held out her arm and two chairs that were across the room levitated and floated until they were next to the bed. "Have a seat please."  
  
"Um, Rogue and I brought these for you," Bobby said, handing Theo a small bouquet of flowers.  
  
"Oh thank you," Theo said, smiling, she took the flowers and put her nose to them, inhaling deeply. "They smell wonderful."  
  
"Are ya all right Ms. O'Malley?" Rogue asked.  
  
"I believe you two are part of the X-Men, are you not?" Theo asked.  
  
"Kind of," Bobby said.  
  
"We're kind of like junior X-Men," Rogue answered. "We go on small missions with one of the others for the Professor."  
  
"Ah, then I would appreciate it if you would both call me Theo," Theo said to them.  
  
"But you're our teacher," Bobby said.  
  
Theo smiled and said, "It's only during your visit here."  
  
"Oh," Rogue said. "So how are ya feeling?"  
  
"I'm alright," Theo said. "I just wish I could go out. But Jean has me stuck in here with the promise that if I collapse again, she'll make me stay in the medical room overnight."  
  
"Will you be teaching class Monday?" Bobby asked.  
  
"What's the matter Bobby," Theo said teasingly. "Getting bored with my class."  
  
Bobby blushed and shook his head. "It's interesting," he said.  
  
"Really?" Theo asked surprised. "All we do in my class is read and discuss the book."  
  
"Yeah, but you have us readin' books about people who are outcasts and misunderstood like we are," Rogue said.  
  
Theo looked surprised for a moment. "You know, I never really thought about it like that," she said. "I just brought books that I've liked since I was young."  
  
"Hello Bobby, Rogue," a voice said from the doorway.  
  
"Oh, hi Ms. Monroe," Bobby said.  
  
"Hi," Rogue said.  
  
"Hello Ororo," Theo said. "What brings you here?"  
  
"I've come to visit you, I thought you might need some company, but I see you've got visitors already," Ororo said.  
  
"We're leaving Ms. Monroe," Bobby said standing up and grabbing Rogue's gloved hand.  
  
"But I wanted to talk with her a little longer," Rogue said, protesting as Bobby forced her to stand and walk out of the room.  
  
"I'll see you on Monday!" Theo called to the two as they disappeared.  
  
"Those two," Ororo said smiling. "There are many times when I think that they are already a married couple."  
  
"How long have they been together?" Theo asked, placing the bouquet of flowers on her nightstand.  
  
"About a year now," Ororo said. "But I've come to speak with you about something else."  
  
"And what's that?" Theo asked curiously.  
  
"I want to invite you to Jean and Scott's wedding and reception," Ororo said.  
  
Theo looked troubled and said, "I don't think that would be a good idea."  
  
"I know that you think Scott would be angry if you came," Ororo began. "But I would like you to go as my guest."  
  
"Will you give me time to think about it?" Theo asked. "When is the ceremony?"  
  
"It's sometime next month, probably the twenty-seventh," Ororo asked.  
  
"I think you should come Theo," Jean said from the doorway. "I would be very glad if you do."  
  
"Please," Theo said, raising her hands. "It's still a month away and I don't think I should intrude on a ceremony obviously meant for loved ones."  
  
"Just think about it, Theo," Ororo said, standing up and patting her hand.  
  
When Ororo had closed the door behind her, Theo sighed and picked up her book and started reading again.  
  
~~~  
  
Magneto looked out the window of the helicopter, thinking over the plan in his mind.  
  
"Do not fear sir," Mesmero said. "She will come with us willingly."  
  
"I'm not worried about getting her," Magneto said. "I wonder what kind of retaliation there will be from Xavier."  
  
"He will not miss her," Mesmero said confidently.  
  
Magneto glanced at the man next to him, a little disgusted. Mesmero was much too confident in his powers to think of the consequences if things went wrong.  
  
"We're here," Mystique said from the front of the helicopter.  
  
A mile away from the mansion, Pyro landed the helicopter in a clearing.  
  
"Stay here Pyro," Magneto said as he, Mesmero and Mystique got off the aircraft. "And be prepared to take off quickly once we get back." Magneto moved his cape to the side and placed his helmet on his head. "Let's go," he said, setting off towards the mansion. 


	7. Chapter 6: Abduction

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men or any of the characters. Only a few people here and there are mine.  
  
Chapter Six  
Abduction  
  
Theo was walking with Atar into the woods a few days after her first and last training session with Xavier. She had spent all afternoon going over the quizzes she had given in each of her classes and was outside for some fresh air.  
  
"Go along Atar," Theo said, waving at the dog. As he ran towards the woods, she sat down in a wrought-iron chair.  
  
"Hey Thee," Logan drawled, walking up to her and sitting in the chair next to hers.  
  
"Oh, hello Lo," Theo answered.  
  
"'Ro told me that you've been withdrawn for the past few days," Logan said.  
  
"Well isn't it obvious?" Theo said in a light tone of voice. "I'm worried as to whether or not I'll ever be accepted here."  
  
"Don't worry about that Thee," Logan said seriously. "Everyone one here loves ya."  
  
"Really?" Theo said, raising an eyebrow. "Everyone, Logan?"  
  
Logan sighed and then said, "Okay, so maybe Scott's not a fan of yours, but he'll come around eventually."  
  
"Didn't he object to you when you came to the Institute?" Theo asked.  
  
"Yeah," Logan answered. "But he eventually got used to me, and we rarely fight nowadays."  
  
"And when did that happen," Theo said.  
  
"After Jean accepted Scott's proposal," Logan said sheepishly. "That was six months ago."  
  
Theo smiled a little sadly and then nodded.  
  
"Look Thee," Logan said, leaning towards her. "'Ro and Jeannie both love ya; they think that you're a great friend. And I know all of the kids like ya. And Thee, I think of ya as a friend too. And the Professor- " Here Logan stopped, not knowing what to say.  
  
"He accepts me," Theo said, standing up. "Thanks for trying to reassure me Lo." She walked down the stairs and towards the woods to get Atar.  
  
Logan ran his hands over his face and growled low in his throat in frustration. He could smell the sadness coming off of Theo. It almost choked him.  
  
"I take it didn't go too well?" a soft voice asked behind him.  
  
"I told ya 'Ro," Logan said without turning around. "Ya should've talked to her, not me."   
  
Ororo sighed and sat down in the chair next to him. "She's seen enough of Jean the past few days," she said. "And I know that if I had talked to her, I wouldn't have been able to get through to her. That left you Logan."  
  
"Damn Scott," Logan growled. "Why the hell can't he see that she's dedicated to the X-Men?"  
  
"You know that Scott worries most about the X-Men being divided," Ororo answered. "He would rather the group stay the same, without any new members. But he's going to have to face the fact that it can't stay like that."  
  
"I feel bad for her," Logan said. "She said all she wants is to be accepted."  
  
"Well she knows that all of us, except for Scott, do," Ororo said.  
  
"Then what the hell does she want?" Logan asked.  
  
"I think it's got to do with the Professor," Ororo said. "She wants his love, but she doesn't think that he could give her that."  
  
"What, does he love her?" Logan asked, surprised.  
  
"Jean has hinted as much," Ororo answered.  
  
"This is way too complicated," Logan said, slumping in his chair.  
  
"No one said that love is easy Logan," Ororo said, a little sadly.  
  
Logan looked up at her, surprised at her tone of voice. He stared at her for a few moments, and felt a twinge in his stomach.  
  
"I... I must go," Ororo said, flustered. "It's getting rather late." She stood up and hurried back to the mansion.  
  
Taking a cigar out of his jacket, Logan shook his head, trying to get the thoughts about what a beautiful woman Ororo was out of his mind. He was about to strike a match, when he blacked out and fell out of the chair onto the ground.  
  
~~~  
  
Theo walked along the edge of the woods, whistling and calling out to Atar. "Come on boy," she said looking through the trees. "Time to go."  
  
"Eleanor," a voice said behind her.  
  
Theo whirled around and was surprised to find the professor behind her. "Sir, I didn't know that you could go on the grass," she stammered.  
  
"You must come with me," he said stoically.  
  
"Why?" Theo asked, confused.  
  
"I must show you something," he said calmly. He turned his wheelchair and entered the woods through a dirt path.  
  
Theo walked to the dirt path, and stopped at the entrance to the woods. There was something about this that didn't seem to be right. Shaking her head, Theo followed Xavier down the path, not seeming to notice the fog creeping around her.  
  
~~~  
  
Mesmero watched as Theo approached the small clearing where he, Magneto and Mystique were standing. His hands were at his temples, projecting the image of Professor Xavier in Theo's head.  
  
"Put her out now Mesmero," Magneto said, watching the woman's progress.  
  
Closing his eyes and focusing, Mesmero pressed Theo's mind, and she fell to the floor.  
  
"Help me Mystique," Magneto said, walking over to Theo and pulling her onto her feet. With Mystique's help, he was able to start walking back to the helicopter. "Keep your hold on the mansion," he said to Mesmero. "Once we have lifted off, you can let go."  
  
The three walked thought the forest back to the helicopter with the unconscious woman between Magneto and Mystique.   
  
When they got back on the helicopter and it had taken off, Mesmero relaxed his grip on all the people in the mansion and slumped in his seat, exhausted.  
  
~~~  
  
Logan opened his eyes and realized that he was lying on the ground. He stood up immediately and ran to the mansion. "'Ro!" he called out to the white haired woman who was standing up off the ground. "What happened?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Ororo said, brushing herself off. She turned to the open door in front of her and saw that the students inside were picking themselves up off the ground.  
  
"Come on, we need to find Scott and Jean," Logan said, taking Ororo's arm and pulling her into the mansion.  
  
"Has any of you seen Scott or Jean?" Ororo asked the students when they walked into the room.  
  
"They're at the stairs," a girl said.  
  
Logan started jogging, Ororo behind him, and went into the entryway of the mansion.  
  
There, Jean was helping Scott put his glasses on.  
  
"What happened?" Ororo asked when she had seen what was going on.  
  
"I blacked out and when I got up, Scott's glasses had fallen off and-" Jean began to say.  
  
"They fell off when I went down," Scott interrupted.  
  
"The Professor," Ororo suddenly said, she turned and ran towards his study, the other three on her heels.  
  
Inside the study, Xavier was on the ground, trying to push himself up. "I was wondering when you were going to come," he said as Logan and Scott helped him up and into his chair.  
  
"What's going on Professor?" Jean asked once he was situated in his wheelchair.  
  
"I believe that was Magneto's doing," Xavier answered. "Logan, would you be so kind as to go out to the woods and get Atar."  
  
"But what about T-" Logan began.  
  
"Just do that first please," Xavier said calmly. "And Ororo, please accompany him."  
  
~~~  
  
Outside at the edge of the woods, Logan's heightened sense of smell picked up Theo's perfume that she wore. "Well I can smell Thee's perfume," he said to Ororo. "I think she went into the woods."  
  
"The Professor told us to find Atar," Ororo said simply.  
  
"Yeah, but where Thee is, that dog isn't far behind," Logan said. With that he walked over to the path that went into the woods.  
  
As they walked, Ororo noticed the fog that was starting to cover the forest. "Wait a minute Logan," she said, stopping. She concentrated for a moment and her eyes turned white. Then she opened her arms wide and the fog disappeared from the forest.  
  
"Thanks 'Ro," Logan said, glancing back at her. He started forward again and then he smelled a scent that was familiar to him. "This way." Without another word, he turned off the path and walked through the forest.  
  
There was a panting sound near the two and Ororo said, "We've found Atar."  
  
Suddenly, the large Irish wolfhound appeared in front of them. It went over to Logan and grabbed his jacket sleeve gently in between his teeth, pulling him towards the east.  
  
"I guess we should fallow him," Logan said to Ororo. "Go on boy, we'll follow ya."  
  
At that, the dog let go of the jacket and headed of in the direction he'd pulled Logan. After a few minutes of walking, Atar led Logan and Ororo into a small clearing.  
  
Logan sniffed around a few times and then shook his head slowly.  
  
"What is it Logan," Ororo asked, seeing his sad expression.  
  
"I can smell three people that were here besides Thee," Logan said. "Magneto, Mystique, and someone I don't recognize."  
  
~~~  
  
"I had a feeling that Magneto was behind this," Xavier said once Logan and Ororo had returned and told him what they had found.  
  
"So they kidnapped her?" Jean asked, a troubled look on her face.  
  
"Maybe she went willingly with them," Scott then said.  
  
"A possible theory Scott," Xavier said, surprising everyone. "But you are forgetting the fact that somehow, everyone in the mansion was put unconscious. Now I said that Eleanor's powers are strong, but not that strong."  
  
"But why would they want to kidnap her?" Ororo asked.  
  
"I do not know," Xavier said sadly. "But I fear that we shall find out in a few days." 


	8. Chapter 7: Magneto's Prisoner

A/N: Big huge thank yous to bluemist and darkshadows. I am so happy that you are liking the story and that you like my pairings!  
  
A/N #2: In this chapter, the Saint Catherine of Alexandria is mentioned. For those of you who don't know who this saint is, go to this link: to find out more about her and what she is the patron saint of. No offense to those of you readers who are non-Catholic by the way.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men or it's characters. Only a few people here and there are mine.  
  
Chapter Seven Magneto's Prisoner  
  
Theo opened her eyes slowly, her head throbbing and her body cold. She  
  
slowly lifted up her head and looked around her. She was inside a cold metal cell. She had been kidnapped.  
  
"Prof-" she started to scream in her mind. Her head snapped back and she could feel blood dribbling out of her nose and mouth.  
  
"I wouldn't try to call anyone," a voice from the other side of the cell said.  
  
Theo looked over and saw a tall man with gray hair standing in front of  
  
her.  
  
"You see, I was able to study those mind controllers that Stryker had and it's obvious that they work," he said motioning to the band of metal on top  
  
of her head. "Although I suppose yours is meant for a telepathic a touch more powerful than you are."  
  
"Who are you?" Theo asked sullenly. Whatever the mind control thing was, it was preventing her from getting into this man's mind.  
  
"I'm sure Charles has told you about me," the man answered. "I am Magneto."  
  
"What is it you want from me?" Theo then asked.  
  
"You'll find out in good time Ms. O'Malley," Magneto said. "Now I would advise you to get some rest. You have a daunting task ahead of you." With  
  
that he turned and left the room.  
  
~~~  
  
Xavier placed the helmet that connected him to Cerebro on his head. It  
  
was Jean's idea for him to try and look for Theo. As he pressed a few buttons on the panel in front of him, Xavier knew already that he would not be able to find Theo. Wherever Magneto was holding her, he had something that was keeping her from using her powers.  
  
Closing his eyes, and concentrating deeply, Xavier activated Cerebro, and began the search for Theo.  
  
In the hallway outside of Cerebro, Jean, Ororo and Scott were waiting for Xavier.  
  
"Do you think he'll find her?" Jean asked Scott, a worried edge to her voice.  
  
Scott shrugged his shoulders in response and then he started pacing the  
  
hallway. "What is it about her powers that Magneto would use her in his plans?"  
  
"That's true, he could have just as easily taken me," Jean said. "We technically have the same powers except for the fact that she can heal people."  
  
The door to Cerebro opened and Xavier came out.  
  
"Any luck?" Ororo asked anxiously.  
  
"I'm afraid not," Xavier said. "Where ever she is, Erik is blocking her from using her powers."  
  
"What will we do?" Jean asked.  
  
"We will have to wait for him to make the next move," Xavier said.  
  
~~~  
  
"I don't see what's so special about this girl," a voice said.  
  
Theo opened her eyes and got off the cot in her cell. She walked over to the metal bars, and peered out into the darkness. "Is anyone out there?" she called out.  
  
A figure stepped into the single light shinning in front of the cell. It was a tall man who had cropped black hair and piercing black eyes. There seemed to be an ancient pattern tattooed on his forehead.  
  
"W-who are you?" Theo asked.  
  
"My name is Mesmero," the man answered.  
  
"What's your real name?" Theo asked.  
  
"That is my real name," Mesmero answered. He looked Theo up and down and smirked.  
  
"Hey Mes, don't get too attached to her," someone said, coming up from behind Mesmero. "She'll probably be dead by the end of this." The figure then stepped next to Mesmero, and Theo could see who he was.  
  
"John," she gasped.  
  
"What the hell?" Pyro said angrily. "How'd you know my name?"  
  
"I remember seeing you in Bobby's mind," Theo answered, wrapping her bound hands around the bars in front of her.  
  
Pyro's expression seemed to sadden for a moment before he shook his head and said, "Whatever."  
  
"Pyro, Mesmero," Magneto said from the entrance to the room. "I believe that I gave the both of you tasks to do. I would like to seem them finished before we start."  
  
"Yes sir," Pyro said. He started to walk out but noticed that Mesmero was sitting in front of the cell, looking at Theo. "Hey Mes," he said, walking over to the man and pushing him. "Didn't you hear Magneto? Let's go."  
  
Mesmero straightned up and then turned to walk out. "Sorry sir," he said as he passed Magneto.  
  
"You know," Magneto said, walking up to Theo. "I can see why Charles and Mesmero find you attractive."  
  
Theo looked at Magneto, her face expressionless.  
  
"Oh I do know all about your infatuation with Charles," Magneto said. "But I can tell you now that his heart belongs to another woman."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Theo asked, surprised.  
  
~~~  
  
Xavier was sitting behind his desk, with his chair facing the window, and he was looking out.  
  
"Professor," a voice said behind him.  
  
"What is it Scott?" Xavier asked without turning.  
  
"I... I just wanted to say that I was sorry for doubting Theo's reasons  
  
for being here," Scott said.  
  
"Thank you Scott," Xavier said, turning his chair. "But you should tell Eleanor that, not me."  
  
Scott looked down at his hands for a moment and then said, "Good night sir."  
  
"Good night Scott," Xavier answered wearily. Once Scott was gone, Xavier sighed and picked up a red pen and started to read the essays he had assigned some of his students. He only spent a few moments doing this when he set down the pen and sat back in his chair. He was happy that Scott had finally trusted Eleanor, but what good did it do now that she was gone?  
  
Xavier was pondering over this question when there was a light tapping at the study door. "Come in," he called.  
  
"I'm sorry to disturb you sir," Ororo said, opening the door wide enough to stick her head in. "But I noticed that Atar was here at the door and I think he wants to come inside."  
  
"Let him in," Xavier said.  
  
Ororo opened the door and the wolfhound walked inside and over to Xavier's desk.  
  
"If you don't need anything else sir-" Ororo started to say.  
  
"Professor!" Jean cried, running into the office. "There's a robbery in New York City, they say it's mutants."  
  
"The Brotherhood," Xavier murmured to himself. "Phoenix, Storm, get Cyclops and Wolverine and get up there as soon as you can."  
  
~~~  
  
Theo paced her cell, thinking over what Magneto had just told her and trying to decide if it was true or not.  
  
Magneto had told her the story of when Xavier had gone to Egypt to find  
  
some mutants for his Institute. While there, he had been given shelter by a rich merchant and his daughter.  
  
This woman, who was named Etha, had been infatuated with Xavier and he with her, or so Magneto said. Eventually though, the girl had discovered that Xavier was a mutant and rejected him. Before leaving, Xavier had sworn to Etha that she would be the only woman she ever loved.  
  
Theo groaned and shook her head, still pacing the floor. She did not want to believe the story, she wanted it to be herself that Xavier loved. But everything Magneto had told her seemed to be true. Doubt and confusion whirled inside her head, until finally she collapsed on her knees on the floor, crying.  
  
"You shouldn't cry," a low voice said from the other side of the cell.  
  
Theo looked up and saw a blue-skinned woman with yellow eyes looking at  
  
her. "Who are you?" she asked, wiping her cheeks as best she could.  
  
"My name is Mystique," she answered quietly.  
  
"Why shouldn't I cry," Theo said, getting up and walking over to the bars.  
  
"Because everything he told you was a lie," Mystique answered.  
  
"So there was no girl named Etha?" Theo said, more to herself than to Mystique.  
  
"No, there was an Etha," Mystique said. "And she did love Xavier, but he never returned the feelings."  
  
Theo was silent for a few moments. Then she asked, "Why did you tell me this?"  
  
Mystique didn't answer, and she turned and left the room.  
  
~~~  
  
Mesmero watched the X-Jet as it landed on a rooftop near the building they were on. "They're here," he whispered to Pyro, who was standing next to him.  
  
"About time," Pyro muttered as he sent a stream of fire down towards the police who were outside the building.  
  
"Just keep those guys away for now," Mesmero said. He then turned and went up towards the roof of their building to meet the X-Men.  
  
*  
  
"I can see flames on the sixth floor," Cyclops said, looking at the building that was next to them.  
  
"That's Pyro," Wolverine said.  
  
"Storm, go on over to the side where the flames are and get some water on them," Scott said. "The rest of us are going to to go over and try to sneak down to the sixth floor."  
  
Storm's eyes turned white and she was lifted up into the air by a gust of wind.  
  
"Ready you guys?" Phoenix asked. When the two men nodded, Phoenix closed her eyes and the three of them rose up into the air and over to the rooftop  
  
of the other building.  
  
When they had landed on the roof, Wolverine sniffed a few times and then withdrew his claws. "Someone's here," he snarled, looking at the door to the stairs.  
  
"Welcome X-Men," a tall man said, walking into the light.  
  
"Who're you?" Wolverine asked menacingly.  
  
The man just smiled and held out something in his hand. "Phoenix, I believe your name is?" he asked. "Take this to your professor."  
  
Phoenix held out her hand and a silver necklace floated into her palm.  
  
"Well it was a pleasure to meet you all," the man said. "Tell your professor that he has what I want." With that, the man pressed his fingers to his temples and the three X-Men fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
*  
  
Storm watched as the rain fell onto Pyro's flames, satisfied to hear the hissing noise as they went out. After a few minutes, it seemed that Pyro had given up and left the room, so she floated up to the room. "Phoenix, what's happened?" Storm asked as she stepped onto the rooftop.  
  
Phoenix, who was rubbing her forehead, said, "A mutant, the same one who knocked out everyone in the mansion."  
  
Cyclops and Wolverine picked themselves up off the ground.  
  
"We better get out of here before the cops find us here," Cyclops said.  
  
"Phoenix, are you up to getting us to the jet?"  
  
"Of course," Phoenix answered.  
  
And the three of them floated up and over to the jet, Storm following them by using her own power.  
  
~~~  
  
Xavier looked down at the necklace in his hand that was Theo's and ran a finger over the pendant hanging from it.  
  
"What do you think he meant by you having what he wants?" Scott asked.  
  
Xavier just shook his head and placed the necklace into his jacket pocket. "It has been a long, and tiring day," he said. "You should all get some rest."  
  
"Yes of course," Ororo said. "Goodnight Professor."  
  
"Goodnight Professor," Jean said.  
  
"Night Sir," Scott said.  
  
"Good night Chuck," Logan said.  
  
With that the four left the study, leaving Xavier behind.  
  
Taking the necklace back out of his pocket, Xavier looked at the small silver pendant with a raised engraving of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. He turned over the pendant and found that T was etched into it. Running his finger over the T, Xavier reached out with his mind and said telepathically, "I will find out what Magneto wants with you Eleanor. And the X-Men and I will bring you back here." 


End file.
